project - EIP-AGRI Operational Group
Improving suckler herd management through nutrition and hygiene around calving time to enhance productivity and reduce antibiotic use
Improving suckler herd management through nutrition and hygiene around calving time to enhance productivity and reduce antibiotic use
Objectives
There is an urgent need to reduce antibiotic use to slow down the development of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and prolong the useful life of treatments for medical and agricultural use. While in general terms, antibiotic use is lower in beef compared to sheep systems, they are widely used in beef systems against some key problems including E-coli infections, pneumonia and coccidiosis.
The project involves four farmers from Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire which all have herds of between 30 and 45 suckler cows. They aim to improve the management and nutrition of their suckler herds around calving to improve animal health and productivity, while reducing the use of antibiotics.
Objectives
Mae angen lleihau'r defnydd o wrthfiotigau er mwyn arafu datblygiad Ymwrthedd Gwrthficrobaidd (AMR) ac ymestyn oes ddefnyddiol triniaethau at ddefnydd meddygol ac amaethyddol. Er bod y defnydd o wrthfiotigau yn is mewn systemau bîff o'u cymharu â systemau defaid, maent yn cael eu defnyddio'n helaeth mewn systemau bîff i drin rhai problemau allweddol gan gynnwys heintiau E-coli, niwmonia a chocsidiosis.
Mae'r prosiect yn cynnwys 4 ffermwr o Geredigion a Sir Gaerfyrddin sy’n cadw buchesi rhwng 30 a 45 o wartheg sugno. Eu nod yw gwella'r ffordd y maen nhw’n rheoli maeth eu buchesi sugno ar adeg lloia i wella iechyd a chynhyrchiant anifeiliaid, gan leihau’r defnydd o wrthfiotigau ar yr un pryd.
Activities
hey will work towards this by developing and implementing management plans which will include:
1)Ration formulation, based on metabolic profiles and feed/ forage analysis
2) Strategies to increase colostrum quality and absorption
3) Strategies for preventative management of diseases, including cleaning and hygiene protocols, based on the results of bedding analysis, faecal sampling and post-mortem results
4) Framework for decision making on antibiotic treatments
Activities
Byddant yn gweithio tuag at hyn drwy ddatblygu a gweithredu cynlluniau rheoli a fydd yn cynnwys:
1) Llunio dognau yn seiliedig ar broffiliau metabolig a dadansoddi’r bwyd/porthiant
2) Strategaethau i gynyddu ansawdd ac amsugniad colostrwm
3) Strategaethau ar gyfer rheoli clefydau'n ataliol, gan gynnwys protocolau glanhau a hylendid, yn seiliedig ar ganlyniadau dadansoddi deunydd gorwedd, samplu ysgarthion a chanlyniadau post-mortem
4) Fframwaith ar gyfer gwneud penderfyniadau ar driniaethau gwrthfiotig
Project details
- Main funding source
- Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups
- Rural Development Programme
- 2014UK06RDRP004 United Kingdom - Rural Development Programme (Regional) - Wales
Emplacement
- Main geographical location
- South West Wales
€ 46480
Total budget
Total contributions from EAFRD, national co-financing, additional national financing and other financing.
1 Practice Abstracts
Health issues cost the UK beef industry an estimated £133m in lost productivity and mortality. Scouring in calves alone accounts for £11 million of those losses. On average only 88% of calves are born alive (per 100 cows/heifers to bull) and of those, 4% die between birth and weaning. Common causes include bovine virus diarrhoea (BVD), scouring, pneumonia, cryptosporidium, Rotavirus, Coccidiosis, and corona viruses (O’Shaughnessy et al., 2015).
The impact of these approach on animal health and productivity will be assessed over the two years by measuring key performance indicators (KPIs) relating to growth and development, calf mortality and the incidence of key diseases. Any reductions in antibiotic usage will be measured against RUMA 2020 targets and monitored using the AHDB Electronic Medicine Hub for beef and sheep.
It is hoped that the benefits of the project will include:
Improved cow and young stock health
Reduced antibiotic usage in beef suckler herds
Reduced costs and increased productivity
Development of robust monitoring systems
Better decision making based on the above
Amcangyfrifir bod problemau iechyd yn costio £133m i ddiwydiant bîff y DU o ran colledion cynhyrchiant a marwolaethau. Mae ysgothi ymysg lloi yn gyfrifol am £11 miliwn o’r colledion hynny. Ar gyfartaledd, dim ond 88% o loi sy'n cael eu geni'n fyw (fesul 100 buwch/heffer sy’n cael ei throi at y tarw) ac o'r rheini, mae 4% yn marw rhwng genedigaeth a diddyfnu. Ymhlith yr achosion cyffredin mae dolur rhydd firsyol buchol (BVD), ysgothi, niwmonia, cryptosporidiwm, Rotafeirws, Cocsidiosis, a feirysau coronaidd (O'Shaughnessy et al., 2015).
Caiff effaith y dull hwn o ymdrin ag iechyd a chynhyrchiant anifeiliaid ei hasesu dros y ddwy flynedd drwy fesur dangosyddion perfformiad allweddol sy'n ymwneud â thwf a datblygiad, marwolaethau lloi ac achosion o glefydau allweddol. Bydd unrhyw ostyngiadau yn y defnydd o wrthfiotigau yn cael eu mesur yn erbyn targedau RUMA 2020 a'u monitro gan ddefnyddio adnodd AHDB Electronic Medicine Hub (eMH) ar gyfer bîff a defaid.
Y gobaith yw y bydd manteision y prosiect yn cynnwys:
Gwella iechyd buchod a stoc ifanc
Defnyddio llai o wrthfiotigau mewn buchesi bîff sugno
Lleihau costau a chynyddu cynhyrchiant
Datblygu systemau monitro cadarn
Gallu gwneud penderfyniadau gwell yn seiliedig ar yr uchod
Contacts
Project coordinator
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Tony Little
Project coordinator